FINLAND Dreamland:🎅 Santa Claus Village, 🦌 Reindeer Sledding, Finnish Sauna, and ❄️ Icebreaker Cruise!

DAY 1 (19.02): ARRIVAL DAY IN ROVANIEMI Welcome to Rovaniemi! We’ll meet in the afternoon at our accommodation. After dropping off our bags and a quick refresh, we’ll set off to explore this northern town, its groceries, and local delicious food. My personal recommendation for lunch is the famous reindeer pizza! 🍕 On our very first day in Lapland, we will visit the Science Centre and Museum Arktikum. It’s essential to understand our surroundings from day one, and the museum will help us with that. Plus, it’s a great place to update my Northern Light hunting skills to the Finnish reality. Hopefully, the weather permits, and we’ll be lucky enough to see this natural phenomenon. After a day of outdoor exploration in the cold, you might want to check out the sauna in our apartment. It’s a well-deserved relaxation after a long day of traveling! 🧖‍♀️ --- ARKTIKUM is a science centre and museum that lets you experience northern nature, culture, and history up close. Housing the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre and the Regional Museum of Lapland, it stimulates thought, encourages debate, and provides a deeper understanding of the Arctic.

DAY 2 (20.02): SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE AND REINDEER RIDE 🎅🏡 Rise and shine! This is the day when childhood dreams come true! 🎄✨ Today is special not only because we’ll meet Santa Claus at his home, but also because we’ll officially cross the Arctic Circle. You can even get a certificate to commemorate this achievement! 🎉 I have a personal list of must-dos in the Santa Claus Village: delivering a letter to Santa, sending a postcard with an Arctic Stamp to my mom, checking out where the Elves live, and more. This day is completely magical, let’s embrace the enchantment! 😊 And, of course, no visit to Santa would be complete without riding his reindeer sled. Let’s step into Santa’s shoes for a short while and enjoy this magical experience. 🦌❄️ --- SANTA CLAUS VILLAGE is a magical destination in Rovaniemi where you can meet Santa himself. Located on the Arctic Circle, it features reindeer rides, husky safaris, and the Santa Claus Post Office, which receives over 500,000 letters annually. Let’s experience holiday magic together! REINDEER RIDE EXPERIENCE (10-15 min). One of the most well-known experiences is the traditional reindeer sleigh ride. Santa has brought his beloved reindeer right to the backyard of Santa Claus Office. In this magical place, you can even obtain a Reindeer Driving License. ARCTIC CIRCLE CERTIFICATE is a unique souvenir you receive upon crossing the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. This special keepsake marks your entry into the land of the midnight sun and northern lights, celebrating a journey to one of Earth’s most enchanting regions.

DAY 3 (21.02): WONDER FOREST WALK 🌲❄️ Today, after a hearty breakfast, let’s head out for a Winter Hike. This beautifully maintained hiking path will take us through the stunning Lapland nature, crossing ski lines and leading to a wooden observation tower with breathtaking views. It’s a relatively short hike that doesn’t require any special equipment. On our way back to town, we’ll continue exploring the surroundings. If you’d like to return to Santa Claus Village to shop, eat, and enjoy more festive fun, feel free! The evening atmosphere there is truly magical. 🎄🎁 For those who want to pump adrenaline to a higher level, a list of optional activities like husky or snowmobile rides will be provided. 🐕‍🦺🏔️ --- OUNASVAARA WINTER Trail lets you admire the beauty of the wintery spruce forests and the rocky landscape atop Ounasvaara. The trail follows the Ounasvaara Nature Trail part of the way. The one-way length of the circular trail and the connecting trails is around 6 km in total. There are two lean-tos and an observation tower along the winter trail on the rocky western hillside of Ounasvaara, amidst a pine forest at an altitude of around 160 m above sea level. The tower offers magnificent views over the city center and the Kemijoki River.

DAY 4 (22.02): ROVANIEMI TO KEMI 🚌❄️ Today, we’ll take things a bit slower after yesterday’s adventures. Enjoy your last breakfast in Rovaniemi before we head to our next destination, Kemi. Our bus will pick us up, and for the next two hours, we’ll soak in the stunning views of Lapland’s nature. 🌲🚌 The highlight of the day is exploring the world’s largest Snow Castle, with its endless tunnels, ice statues, and epic walls. It’s like stepping into a winter wonderland! Every year, this magical place melts away, only to be rebuilt the next winter. This year, we will catch it! ❄️🏰 --- KEMI is a captivating town in Finland, home to the world’s largest snow castle and the iconic Icebreaker Sampo. With stunning sea views, it offers unique experiences like snow hotel stays and thrilling icebreaker cruises, attracting thousands of visitors annually. SNOW CASTLE is a winter park made entirely of snow and offers traditional Finnish snow activities for visitors. It includes an ice tube slide, a slide for tobogganing, a snow labyrinth, a traditional Finnish carousel sleigh, and an indoor area with several ice sculptures.

DAY 5 (23.02):ICEBREAKER CRUISE EXPERIENCE WITH ICE FLOATING This activity has been on my mind since I saw the photo of this ship. Imagine yourself boarding a real Polar icebreaker! The ship is dedicated to opening iced waters for others by crushing thick icy layers. Once we go far enough, our icebreaker will open a pool just for us. We’ll wear safety suits and float on the real Arctic waters! This is an unforgettable experience. Don’t worry if you don’t feel adventurous enough to participate in this tour. Kemi is a beautiful town to explore, and our accommodation close to the Snow Castle and the sea coast may inspire you for future explorations. Once our team catches up all together again, we’ll have one last dinner in this beautiful Lappish town before our train takes us to the capital of Finland, Helsinki. 🚂 --- ❣️POLAR EXPLORER ICEBREAKER offers a 3-hour cruise in the frozen waters of the Bothnian Sea in Lapland. During the cruise, you will witness the massive ice-breaking power of the vessel, have a guided tour from the engine rooms to the Captain’s bridge, and enjoy an 11-minute movie about icebreakers worldwide in the icebreaker cinema. The tour is available in 16 languages via an audio guide application. You can relax in the cozy saloon with warm juice or take a walk on the frozen sea ice during the stop. The icebreaker makes a pool free of ice, allowing every visitor to swim in the dark, icy water in a flotation survival suit. The captain will present a Cruise & Swim Certificate to everyone as a memorable gift. The price of this tour is not included in the trip price and costs 395 €.❣️

DAY 6 (24.02): HELSINKI EXPLORATION Welcome to Helsinki! We will arrive in the morning, giving us plenty of time to explore the city. Our adventure today kicks off in the heart of Helsinki. We’ll follow an improvised city tour trail that introduces us to the ten most recognizable highlights of Helsinki. We’ll get a glimpse of the main attractions and discover where to enjoy a delicious local dinner. 🍽️ Forgot to mention, our accommodation has a sauna and kitchenette, perfect if you’re missing homemade food or want to experience this Finnish tradition one more time. 🧖‍♂️

DAY 7 (25.02): DEPARTURE DAY Well, our incredible journey has come to an end. We’ve fulfilled a long-awaited dream together, creating memories that will last a lifetime. Let’s take a moment to reflect on the magical experiences we’ve shared and the bonds we’ve formed along the way. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I know that this is not the end—just the beginning of many more adventures to come. Until we meet again, take care, and cherish the beautiful memories we’ve made. See you on the next trip! 😊